Ascension Discovery

by Amy Proebstel

  Dessert was eaten with the same sloppy haste as the previous plate of food. When he was finished, he pushed his chair back and looked around for the waiter. Spotting him just coming out of the kitchen, Petre held up the chit and yelled across the room saying, “Are we good here?”

  Mortified with the patron’s morbid display of manners the waiter only nodded and hoped the vulgar man would leave soon. To his great relief, Petre loudly pushed his chair away from the table as he stood up and strode out of the restaurant without further incident.

  Petre went to the marketplace and gathered food and supplies for the next leg of his journey. He was equally delighted to find Elder Debbon’s voucher worked with each vendor. Nobody questioned his use of the chit or the amount of the purchases which he placed on the counter to be taken. He had a full armload by the time he was ready to return to his water craft.

  For the first time since arriving on the islet, Petre wondered if someone had tied down his water craft from his rushed entry onto the islet. He quickened his pace and physically breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his beautiful water craft tied securely to the primary docking station, usually reserved for significant guests of the Elder.

  He felt another jolt of importance as he stepped onto his vessel. He looked around to see if anybody was noticing that he was the Elder’s special visitor. Nodding to several people staring in his direction, he lifted his chin, squared his shoulders and proudly descended the steps into the main cabin of his craft.

  He spent considerable time putting all of the supplies away in the cupboards. Petre realized he would have to change his ways in the cabin now that little Jena would be crawling around. There was no telling what she would get into next. He looked around with the eye of a concerned parent for the safety of his child and realized there were quite a few hazards he had never noticed before.

  When his eyes focused on the box from the stolen cargo shipment he realized where there was one beetlesnatch, there were bound to be more. Not wanting to take any chances Petre went back up the stairs, across the deck, hopped onto the dock, and hastily returned to the marketplace to get materials specifically designed for killing beetlesnatch.

  It took him some time, but eventually he had the materials needed for fumigation. He returned to his water craft and first went into the cargo area. He detonated several devices in the hold and shut the door immediately to contain the sulfurous smoke to the cargo area. He then went to the main cabin and repeated the process.

  Only then did Petre realize that his plan to rest in his cabin for a few hours was now impossible. He jumped back onto the dock and returned to the town. After asking a few people walking down the street, Petre discovered to his great disgust that there were no brothels on this islet.

  Finally, he had to content himself with a hostel which several people had highly recommended. He found the building, went in, displayed the chit one more time and was ushered into their best private room with its own attached bath. Petre walked through with an eye for the elegance of the chamber. The sleeping platform looked utterly luxurious, but a nice hot bath sounded even better. After the trials of the day he was ready to relax with a nice soak.

  As the hot water swiftly filled the tub, Petre removed his clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror and was pleased with what he saw. He appreciated his lean arms but frowned a little at how his midsection was a little less firm than it had been in the past. Oh well, he thought, I’m sure running after Jena will fix that shortly.

  He turned some cold water on so the bath would not be scalding. After a minute or so more he turned off the faucet and carefully stepped into the tub. Holding onto both sides, he eased himself into the bath up to his neck. He leaned his head back onto the edge and closed his eyes in relief. Without realizing it, he easily fell asleep.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Debbon read through the betrothal document and was satisfied with all of the contingencies set in place. Each item was subtly written so Petre would not take offense but it severely curtailed his involvement in Jena’s life even if they were not able to activate the abandonment clause.

  As he finished reading each page, he handed them to Chelesa to read as well. Taking the advice of his legal counsel, he wanted to make certain she was comfortable with this document as well. He was surprised each time Chelesa giggled as she read through the document.

  “Oh, this is good,” she finally said, “This speaks to Petre’s arrogance even while it takes away his rights! He’ll be so busy preening over the flattery that he won’t notice what’ll be taken away from him.”

  “That’s just what I intended,” Miorlen spoke up. He sat across from the Elder and his wife with a pleased smile on his face. He knew this document was a work of art, his specialty really. He loved creating an irrevocable document with such skill and finesse.

  His only regret was that he had not had more time to polish it to his idea of perfection. He had to content himself that it was good enough for whom it was intended because he realized that anything more would have probably been lost on the likes of Petre MacVeen anyway.

  “Do you also have the birth certificate started?” Elder Debbon asked Miorlen.

  “I sure do.” He hesitated and then asked, “Would it be possible…”

  “Ask what you will, Miorlen,” Debbon prompted when Miorlen hesitated.

  “I hate to presume to direct your meeting with Petre, but it would be helpful if you could ask him the mother’s full legal name and birth date right away. Next, I would need Jena’s birth date to complete the document. After that, you could discuss the betrothal document while I finish the birth certificate. That way I could have all the documents ready in time for everybody’s signatures,” he finished in a rush.

  “That sounds good to me.” He was really looking forward to setting Petre up to lose Jena. He was also a bit concerned that Petre already realized what a prize Jena was and would be unwilling to even negotiate a deal with the Elder. It had been a long time since Debbon had any doubts about his success. With his high-ranking position, success was usually a certainty; however, nothing was ever sure with a master deceptor like Petre MacVeen.

  “I think it would be best if you met with Petre alone, my dear,” Chelesa suddenly spoke into the silence. “I don’t think I could keep the contempt from either my voice or my face if I had to sit with him for any length of time.”

  “That’s okay, Chelesa, I understand your feelings entirely,” Debbon replied. Inwardly he felt the same feelings. However, he had more experience dealing with difficult people since he had been elevated to Elder status. He could not keep his thoughts distracted from the end result, Jena must be raised by his family. She would be utterly wasted anywhere else.

  Debbon was starting to wonder when they might be hearing from Petre. It had already been three hours, and yet the guard had not alerted them to the anticipated visitor. He had hoped to get this matter squared away before dinner since his appetite was non-existent while he worried over the success of this agreement. Once it was all finished, however, Debbon was sure to be quite hungry. Success had that effect on him!

  Abandoning all of his personal rules today, Debbon decided to call up the elemy to extend a search for Petre throughout his islet. Once a target was identified, he was able to hone in on the signal and then get a clear picture of the location of a person. With the signal sent and identified, Debbon saw that Petre had fallen asleep in the bathroom at the hostel.

  He returned the energy immediately back to the earth and angrily turned on his patil. Here he was anxiously waiting for a visitor who was sleeping! The nerve of the man! He called up the hostel and requested the owner to knock on Petre’s door since he was late for a meeting.

  The hostel owner was speechless with the thought of Elder Debbon actually calling him personally. He became tongue-tied as he tried to explain he was honored to do as the great Elder requested. Right away, the man had assured Debbon.

  About fifteen minutes later, the guard fi
nally notified Debbon that Petre MacVeen wished to meet with the Honorable Elder Debbon. Debbon smiled at the formal phrasing used by the guard. He only spoke that way when he was trying not to take offense at a visitor’s officious manners.

  “Please send him into my private office,” Debbon replied politely into the patil. He thought Petre might feel a false sense of importance by being invited into the inner sanctum of the Residence. He smiled to himself at the many ploys being enacted for Petre’s benefit.

  Debbon stood up in his office and took a few paces while he inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly out his mouth to calm his nerves. This meeting was possibly the most important one in his family’s lives. He had to make sure he did everything possible to play to Petre’s personality to sway him to give up his daughter.

  After a few moments, he could hear footsteps in the hallway near his office. He concentrated on making his expression both concerned and friendly. He did not want to seem desperate to get Jena, Petre would be sure to pick up on any sign of that behavior.

  There was a rap on the door followed immediately by the door opening. Debbon’s personal guard, Gatson, walked through the opening and said, “Petre MacVeen is here to see you, sir.” He elaborately waved Petre into the room. Gatson bowed formally to Elder Debbon, turned on his heel, and left the room while softly closing the door behind himself.

  Debbon saw the smug expression on Petre’s face and made sure his own expression did not show the same. He continued Gatson’s lead and said, “Please take a seat, Petre.”

  He did not wait to see if he sat down. Instead, Debbon turned and walked around his desk. He spent a few seconds composing himself as he settled into his own chair across the desk from Petre. “I trust you were able to get a good meal as well as the opportunity to get some rest while I was monitoring Jena’s recovery,” Debbon inquired without actually making it a question. He was already well aware of the vast amounts of items purchased with his personal chit. Debbon thought of it as an investment in Jena’s future; her future living with himself!

  “Yes, I did. Thank you very much. Your generosity was beyond compare. How is my daughter doing? Did she have a secondary reaction?”

  “No, fortunately. She has been sleeping peacefully upstairs. As I’m sure you’re aware, she’s a very charming little girl. You must be very proud,” Debbon said in his most flattering tone.

  Petre smiled with the compliment as if he had anything to do with her upbringing. “Thank you, I am aware.”

  Debbon began again with small conversation and asked, “What was her mother’s last name?”

  Petre looked down as if he were hesitant to speak about Jesisca and finally he said, “Keeper.”

  “That’s an unusual last name. When was her birthday?” he asked promptly. There really was not any easy way to get that bit of information.

  “Elul 22, 3424. Why?” Petre asked suspiciously.

  “I just have to fill out some paperwork for my healing records. Oh, that reminds me…what is Jena’s birthday?” Debbon continued as if it did not matter.

  Petre seemed content with Elder Debbon’s explanation for asking questions. He had to think rapidly to decide what Jena’s birthday should be before he said, “Sivan 15, 3443.”

  “That’s good, I should be able to complete my paperwork with that information,” Debbon stated with satisfaction. He thought for a moment how to move the conversation over to betrothals without seeming desperate. “How has it been, raising Jena, since Jessa died? I know infants can be very frustrating.”

  Petre nodded emphatically. “You can’t believe how fast they move once they learn to crawl. I’ve had to actually spend time going over the water craft to make sure she doesn’t get hurt on anything. And as you already saw even those precautions sometimes aren’t enough! After this last incident, I was seriously thinking about finding a caregiver for her since I can’t be awake all the time to keep her out of trouble. Right?”

  “For sure,” he agreed instantly. This was the best opening he could have hoped for so he carried on. “A caregiver, hmm? That gives me an idea, Petre.”

  “Do you have someone in mind?”

  “Something like that. Have you considered making a betrothal for her? She is a very beautiful child. I’m sure someone would be amenable to a match. She would then go live with their family, and you can carry on with your own life as usual,” Debbon suggested helpfully. He used his immense ability to concentrate energy into pushing Petre to be agreeable to the suggestion.

  Petre’s startled expression clearly showed this idea had never occurred to him. He thought about the idea and realized there was also a price to be paid to the parents of the girls entering into a betrothal. Wondering how much money he could ask for made him think this proposition had serious merit.

  Petre nodded his head suddenly and said, “I think a betrothal might be the best solution. Thank you, Elder Debbon. I’ll have to make some inquiries once we are on our way. Is Jena almost ready to go?” He was eager to be on his way now that he could have someone else take care of Jena, and he would get paid to still be able to see her. It was the perfect solution.

  “As long as we’re waiting for Jena to be readied to go,” he started as though he were just coming up with the idea himself he said, “What if I said I might be interested in Jena being betrothed to my son Willian. Is that a match you might consider?” He looked at Petre as though he might be granted a favor if Petre accepted his offer.

  Petre looked at Elder Debbon with his mouth hanging open. He had never expected an offer from the Elder himself. This was working out better than he could have ever hoped. Jena would have a fantastic home and Petre himself would then be part of Elder Debbon’s family by marriage. Petre snapped shut his mouth, composing himself to answer calmly even as his heart began to race. “I think we could look at that as an option.”

  “I have been looking for someone for Willian for a while now. I’ve had my legal counsel draw up a betrothal agreement in case I might find someone who we thought might make a good match for him,” he said as though this had been a thought for a long time. “Of course, there’s also the betrothal price which would need to be agreed upon. I’m sure you know I would be fair with that as well.”

  Nodding hurriedly, Petre started to add up just how much Elder Debbon was willing to pay to marry his son to someone special like his daughter. The sum was astronomical in his mind the longer he mused. Petre imagined sitting down to dinner with Elder Debbon on a regular basis, visiting his private house, walking through the town beside the esteemed Elder Debbon. These images made him smile as he thought his life had finally made the turn toward fortune as he had always imagined.

  Debbon saw that his opportunity to have Petre sign the paperwork was at hand. He pushed back his chair and opened one drawer after another. In each drawer, he pretended to rummage through them to look for the betrothal agreement and murmured as if to himself, “I think I have a copy of a betrothal agreement somewhere around here.” He shuffled a few more papers for good measure before he suddenly ripped a wad of paperwork out and flourished it with a sense of triumph and said, “Ah, I knew I had a copy somewhere.”

  Debbon briefly glanced at the document to make sure it was the blank copy without Jena’s name and then passed the papers across the table for Petre to read. He saw Petre was eager to begin reading the document. Debbon cleared his throat and asked, “Would you like something to drink while you read through the terms of the agreement?”

  “Sure, sure,” Petre said as he was already distracted by the thought that this might actually be happening to him. “Water would be good,” he added offhandedly.

  Debbon rang a small bell and requested two glasses of water from the maid who appeared at the office door. He really wanted to make it seem as though he wanted Petre to read the document, but in actuality, he was just anxious for him to sign it and leave. Creating several small diversions would interrupt Petre’s concentration so he would probably miss
the abandonment clause.

  Less than a minute later another diversion came in the form of the maid returning with a small tray containing two glasses of water and a full carafe for refilling. She bent over the desk next to Petre as she deposited the tray closest to Debbon. She picked up one of the glasses and offered it to Petre first.

  “Thank you, miss,” Petre replied as he appreciated her shapely figure so close to him.

  “You’re very welcome, sir,” she replied sweetly.

  Debbon hid his smirk by picking up the other glass and taking a quick sip. Petre is a very predictable man, he thought to himself. He must have gotten to the part of the agreement with the monetary terms…ah, now he has!

  Petre’s eyes widened perceptibly, and he suddenly felt the need to take a big gulp of his water. In his confusion, he misjudged the swallow, and he had to set the glass down clumsily as he started to cough uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he was doubled over in his chair.

  “Are you going to be okay, Mr. MacVeen? Do you require my assistance?” Debbon felt he had to at least act as if he were concerned. He stood up from his chair as if he were ready to spring into action if needed.

  Petre continued to cough, but he shook his head to indicate he would be better soon. A few minutes later, Petre’s coughing subsided, but his throat was sore. He wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands and rubbed them on the front of his pants to dry the moisture from his hands. “Sorry,” he croaked, “the water went down the wrong way.” He coughed a few more times and then picked the papers back up to resume his reading.

  Debbon felt Petre had had sufficient time with the documents so he cut right to the chase, “As you can see, I’m willing to pay five thousand taj as a betrothal price for the proper companion for my son. I think you will agree that this sum is more than fair.”

  Petre nodded solemnly and said, “Quite fair.” He could have kicked himself for agreeing so easily. Given a little persuasion, he felt sure he could have raised that figure by at least half. Clearly, it was too late now to backtrack, but maybe there were other concessions which he could get thrown in.